Paint guide
How much touch-up paint do I need?
One 6.7 oz aerosol of our paint covers about 2 to 3 square feet in two coats. Here's what that comes to for a chip, a scratch and each panel of a car, in aerosols or with a spray gun, at today's prices.
Paint for each job
Panel areas are the ones our coverage calculator uses. The fewest cans is the area divided by 3, the most is the area divided by 2, both rounded up.
| The job | 6.7 oz aerosols | Spray gun |
|---|---|---|
| Chips, a ding or a bumper corner | 1 can$37.02 | β |
| A scratch, sprayed and blended outabout 3 sq ft | 2 cans$74.04 | β |
| Fenderabout 8 sq ft | 3β4 cans$111.06β$148.08 | 1 quart$176.80 |
| Doorabout 12 sq ft | 4β6 cans$148.08β$222.12 | 1 quart$176.80 |
| Quarter panelabout 14 sq ft | 5β7 cans$185.10β$259.14 | 1 quart$176.80 |
| Hoodabout 17 sq ft | 6β9 cans$222.12β$333.18 | 1 quart$176.80 |
| Bumperabout 19 sq ft | 7β10 cans$259.14β$370.20 | 1 quart$176.80 |
| Roofabout 19 sq ft | 7β10 cans$259.14β$370.20 | 1 quart$176.80 |
Prices are for a standard formula; some colors cost more to mix, and the finder shows your color's price. A tri-coat counts two-can sets (below).
Order the top of the range
When you tell the finder what you're painting ("How much do I need?" on the order card), it sets the quantity to the most cans the job can take, so you don't run out in the middle of a coat. A door is set to 6 cans, a hood to 9.
Aerosols or a spray gun?
Aerosols need no compressor and no gun to clean. With a spray gun, one quart covers any one of these panels in two coats. Compare the two columns above for your panel.
A quart for a gun is sprayed with a reducer (1K basecoat) or an activator (2K Direct Gloss); the finder offers the right one with your quart.
Two panels or more, or a whole car: our coverage calculator works it out panel by panel, with the mixing ratios.
Clear on top
| 1K clear aerosol (SEM) | 2K clear aerosol (SprayMax) | |
|---|---|---|
| Chips, a ding or a bumper corner | 1 | 1 |
| A scratch | 1 | 1 |
| Fender | 1 | 1β2 |
| Door | 2 | 2β3 |
| Quarter panel | 2 | 2β3 |
| Hood | 2 | 3β4 |
| Bumper or roof | 2 | 3β4 |
1K basecoat dries flat and needs clear on top; 2K Direct Gloss is color and gloss in one and needs no clear (1K or 2K: which to order). With 1K aerosols the finder offers both clears. Counted from the makers' sheets: SprayMax 2K Clear covers about 5.4 to 8.1 sq ft a can in one or two passes; SEM 1K HS Clear covers 23.4 sq ft a can at 1 mil of dry film, sprayed in two full coats, which we count as about 2 mils, so 11.7 sq ft a can.
Questions
How much does one aerosol of touch-up paint cover?
About 2 to 3 square feet in two coats, from our 6.7 oz aerosol. A few chips, a door ding or a bumper corner take one can.
How many spray cans do I need for a scratch?
Two. A scratch sprayed and blended out covers about 3 square feet.
How many spray cans does it take to paint a door?
Four to six of our 6.7 oz aerosols: a door is about 12 square feet. With a spray gun, one quart covers it.
How many spray cans for a hood or a bumper?
A hood takes six to nine cans (about 17 square feet); a bumper or a roof seven to ten (about 19). With a spray gun, one quart covers any one of them.
Is one quart enough to paint a panel?
Yes. Sprayed with a gun, one quart covers any one panel in two coats: a fender, a door, a quarter panel, a hood, a bumper or a roof. For two or more panels, use our coverage calculator.
How many cans of clear coat do I need for a door?
Over 1K basecoat: two SEM 1K clear aerosols, or two to three SprayMax 2K clear aerosols, from the makers' coverage figures. 2K Direct Gloss needs no clear.
How much paint does a tri-coat take?
The same number, counted in two-can sets: a base color can and a pearl mid-coat can for each. A door takes four to six sets.
